Storms hammer region for second straight day

Storms that caused flooding, hail and a tornado in the Ottawa area Thursday night were followed by more large storms Friday.

A severe thunderstorm warning wasissued for the Ottawa/Gatineau/Renfrew areas around 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Environment Canada said the rainfall from those storms combined with earlier rain could mean totals of 50 to 75 millimetres in some areas.

The subdivision of rue Poirier, rue Paquin and rue Virgilier in Gatineay which flooded Thursday has re-flooded Friday afternoon.

Residents who had just finished cleaning from the previous night's storm saw the water come rushing back.

"Yesterday I had at least two feet of water in my house, by this morning we managed to clean it all up; I had to empty the house completely, the whole basement," said Marc Barron. "Right now it's the same thing, so I'm back to square one. Same amount of water there was yesterday."

In at least one case, the residents had to leave because of a toxic sewer backup into their home.

The residents said they're considering a lawsuit against the City of Gatineau and they're frustrated with two floods in less than 24 hours.

Ottawa fire services says a lightning strike caused a small electrical fire in a home on Prince of Wales Drive around 4:15 p.m. Friday.

Marc Messier with the Ottawa Fire Services says they believe the lightning struck a pole a cross the street, then the current travelled across the lines into the electrical panel.

Fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the fire on the electrical panel, and the occupants will not be displaced.

The Ottawa International Airport had grounded all departing flights and said arrivals were delayed because of the lightning, but resumed operations around 7:30 p.m. Friday.

MRC des Collines has said Highway 148 was totally washed out in Luskville between chemins Parker and Therien, with Ottawa police also closing Rideau Road between Bank Street and Hawthorne Road for the same reason.

Flooding had been reported in Barrhaven, Stittsville and Orleans, with power outages in many parts of Ottawa.

THURSDAY'S DAMAGE

Friday's storms come after a large storm system in the Ottawa area Thursday night.

About 40 families dealt with the first round of flood damage after a wall of water rushed through their west Gatineau community around 10 p.m. Thursday.

The City of Gatineau said their reservoir system was dealing with 50 to 80 millimetres of rain during a storm when a beaver dam broke upstream, overwhelming the reservoir and sending the water down the streets.

That storm was part of a system that Environment Canada said produced a F0 tornado that touched down between Kanata and Aylmer, and sent marble-sized hail crashing down in Constance Bay, west of Ottawa.

Gatineau residents reported the flood was "like a raging river" that tore the back door off one home and had water levels nearly six feet high as it rushed into the basement.

"I've been here for 28 years. I flooded 4 times, but not like that," said Jean-Claude Frigon. "Outside was like a river here. It was terrible."

They said they're wondering why the city was depending on a beaver dam, and why there weren't additional measures to stop floods like this from happening.

Complicating the situation is the fact that today is St-Jean-Baptiste Day in Quebec, meaning many cleanup businesses are closed.

"You're waiting and wondering who's going to come and when, you know?" said Carl Tougas. "I have no electricity, no phone, nothing."

Some residents will reportedly not be able to get help from their insurance agency until Monday.

Residents of Cantley, Que., about 20 kilometres north of Ottawa, said their basements were flooded during the night as well.

Ottawa Police have also closed Dunrobin Road between Kinburn Side Road and Constance Bay Road due to rising water.

Residents of MacLaren's Landing, west of Constance Bay, are experiencing basement flooding in 20 homes.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's John Hua and Katie Griffin

Photos

An area of Gatineau that flooded Thursday night is seen flooding again on Friday, June 24, 2011.